Applicator having one-piece body



Sept. 12, 1967 I 'Gysc'HwAR-rzMAN APPLICATOR --HAvlNG 'ONE-PIECE BODY Filed Feb. 18, 1965 INVENTOR.

/L 35er scHw/IR TZMA/V BY i AT T ORNE YS United States Patent O 3,340,561 APPLICATOR HAVING ONE-PIECE BODY Gilbert Schwartzman, 20 Wilmot Circle, Scarsdale, N.Y. 10583 Filed Feb. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 433,739 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-566) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A fluid applicator comprising a retainer ring which has a projectingportion. The retainer ring is tapered upwardly to form a flexible crown having a reduced thick? This invention relates to a fluid applicator especially adapted for use in applying shoe polish or for applying cosmetics or medications on the shoes, clothing or on the person of the user. This application is copending with the application Ser. No. 271,019, filed Apr. 5, 1963, for Fluid Applicator.

An object of this invention resides in the provision of of a uid applicator having a one-piece body for use in facilitating the application of cosmetics, medications, shoe polish or the like.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision in a fluid applicator having a novel one-piece body including valve means integrally formed with the body and which valve means are automatically actuated and adapted to control the flow of shoe polish from the fluid applicator for obtaining an even flow of shoe polish onto a shoe, independent of the contours or shape of the shoe and so that fluid flow may be conveniently had onto the outer surface of the uid applicator for applying shoe polish into crevices, corners, and other spaces where access is difficult, while assuring complete closing of the valve means when the iiuid applicator is not in use.

In the past fluid applicators have been produced which are provided with applicator ends serving to actuate mechanical Valves which were constructed separately from the body. These prior art valve members normally added considerable expense to the manufacture of the fluid applicators since separate molding steps for making these devices of plastic material were entailed. An assembly step was also necessitated. The present invention employs the concept of a one-piece body having valve means integrally formed therewith which requires only a single molding operation to produce and eliminates the necessity for the assembly step. In accomplishing these advantages, further and unexpected results are obtained in that a more positive acting valve of lighter weight is achieved, less material is required, and the spring actuating mechanism is more efficient.

A further important feature of this invention resides in an arrangement of a one-piece body having a spherical tapereddauber crown provided with an opening forming a valve seat and with present-day molding capabilities, a valve assembly having portions of even greater diameter than the opening can be made integrally with the body and connected thereto by spring filaments.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of an integrally formed valve head, body including a dauber crown, a valve body, valve spring and seating ring for use in a fluid applicator, all formed together in body which is especially inexpensive to manufacture,

simple to use, capable of metering fluid of various viscosities in an effective manner so that the iluid applicator is especially adapted for use in applying shoe polish, medications, cosmetics, oils, polishes and the like, and which fluid applicator may be made in any convenient size as desired.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention, which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are `attained by this fluid applicator, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional detail view of an assembled fluid applicator constructed in accordance with the concepts of the present invention illustrating the fluid applicator in an initial sealed position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical' sectional View similar to FIG. 1, but illustrating the fluid applicator in a closed position after use;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 1, but illustrating the fluid applicator in a position during use with the valve open; and,

FIG. 4 is a top plan view with parts of the fluid applicator being broken away showing other parts in section vand in detail.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numerallll is used to generally designate the tluid applicator comprising the present invention. This fluid applicator includes a lcontainer 12 having a neck in which a projecting portion 15 of a retaining ring 14 is positioned. The retaining Iing includes a fiange 16 provided with an upwardly swaged lip 18 for retaining a cover 20 in position between the lip 18 and a dauber crown 22 of substantially hemispherical configuration.

The cover 20 is constructed of two disc-shaped layers, the upper layer 21 of which is formed of a nylon knitted brushed fabric so as to achieve a felt-like applicator surface and appearance, while having the chemical inertness and strength of the nylon. Laminated and bonded to the nylon 'knitted brushed fabric is the lower layer 23 of coarse polyurethane foam.

The crown 22 is tapered so vas to be relatively thin and fairly flexible at its uppermost portion defining the cir cular opening 28 therein. Cooperating with the arcuate tapered opening 28, which serves as a valve seat, is the integrally molded valve assembly, generally indicated at 24. The valve assembly 24 includes four spring filaments 32, the lower portion being integrally joined to the crown 22. The spring filaments 32 continuously -urge the valve assembly 24 upwardly and into engagement with the peripheral edges of the crown 22 defining the opening 28. The spring filaments 32 are undercut from the crown and are relatively resilient.

The valve assembly 24 includes a valve head 34 having a truncated conical base portion 36 to which a stepped portion 38 is integrally attached. The stepped portion is also provided with a series of four uted portions 40, assuring ow of iiuid.

It is to be noted that the diameters of the truncated base portion 36 fand of the lower part 39 of the stepped portion 38 are greater than the diameter of the opening 28, which arrangement is achieved in a single molding operation using novel molding process whereby such undercuts including the spring filaments 32 are possible to obtain. In the alternative, using a more conventional method of forming the crown 22 so that the opening 28 is of smaller diameter than the basic portions of the valve assembly 24, it is possible to mold the crown 22 with the opening 28 slightly larger than the valve assembly and then swage it until it has a smaller diameter. However, this later process requires an additional step in the production, and is not as `desirable as the single molding operation. The diameter of the upper part 42 of the stepped portion 38 is of slightly smaller diameter than the opening 28.

The spring filaments 32 are just long enough so that when they are extended as much as possible, such as shown in FIG. 3, the valve assembly 24 is still within the connes of the crown 22 and not disengaged therefrom.

In initial assembly of the device after molding, and while the molded one-piece body is still warm after removal thereof from the mol-d, the valve assembly 24 is pushed from the inside until the lower part of the stepped portion 38 is resiliently held in a Huid-tight seal by the tapered peripheral edge of the crown defining the opening 28. This will, upon cooling of the one-piece body, cause the spring filaments 32 to take as a set, so as to always have a tendency to run to this position. Thereafter, the cover 20 is swaged in place. Upon use, and as shown in FIG. 3, the valve assembly is pushed downwardly allowing fluid to flow between the valve assembly 24 and the crown 22 through the opening 28 and into the cover as shown by the arrows in FIG. 3. Of course, the lluting 40 assures and guarantees proper iluid ilow. Upon removal of the fluid applicator from the surface on which fluid is to be dispensed, the spring filament will urge the valve assembly 24 upwardly so that the peripheral edge 48 of the lower step 39 will form a uid seal with the undersurface of the crown, and thus close the dauber. The valve assembly has an upper convex surface 50.

The tapered shape of the crown 22 not only allows for the desired undercuts so as to achieve the one-piece product, 'but an unexpected result is obtained in that the tapered configuration of the crown allows for a highly desirable effect of increased flexibility of the fluid applicator and the capability of penetrating various interstices during application of fluid.

A latitude of modification, substitution and change is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances, some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claim be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the present invention.

I claim:

A fluid applicator comprising a retainer ring having a projecting portion, said retaining ring being tapered upwardly to form a flexible crown having a reduced thickness, said crown having an opening therein forming a valve seat, a valve head movable with respect to said valve seat to control fluid flow through said opening, a plurality of resilient spring filaments integrally formed with and undercut from said valve head and to said crown at a location spaced considerably below said opening and set to normally urge said valve head into said opening and against said crown, said valve head including a stepped portion including a relatively larger lower part and a relatively smaller upper part, said lower part beingof larger diameter than said opening with said crown initially clampingly engaging said lower part and so that upon initial depression of said valve head, said lower part passes through said opening, the force exerted by said spring filaments being insufcient to thereafter force said lower part through said opening so that the upper outer peripheral edge of said lower part engages said crown for closing said fluid applicator, said upper part being iluted for allowing fluid flow upon slight depression thereafter of said valve head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,714,475 8/ 1955 Roehrich 222-501 2,974,350 3/1961 Schwartzrnan 15-566 3,129,452 4/ 1964 Schwartzman 15-566 3,169,267 2/ 1965 Luedtke 15-5 66 FOREIGN PATENTS 801,221 9/ 1958 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

E. L. ROBERTS, Assistant Examiner. 

